Click this link to view the lab reports from the year: Chemistry Lab Reports
Sulfur dioxide in the form of acid rain can cause health problems such as asthma and bronchitis. Nitrogen oxide in ground level ozone can cause lung inflammation, including asthma, emphysema, and make people more susceptible to chronic respiratory diseases. Mercury normally enters to body through the consumption of fish or other aquatic creatures. Everyone has a certain level of mercury in their tissue, the problem is when that level gets too high. Mercury can cause gastrointestinal tract, the nervous system, and the kidneys.
Energy and Place
Click on the link below to see the Joint Scientific Statement created by the group researching coal.
For this project we had a debate over this motion: The San Juan Generating Station, a coal plant in Farmington NM, posses a significant environmental and heath hazard to the Four Corners Region and thus should be closed. I was the moderator for the debate and did not have an opening or closing statement but below is the introduction to the debate, the top nine questions asked about coal, and the link to a video of the debate.\
Moderator Introduction
Coal is one of the world's
major supplier of energy, one of the
oldest sources of energy, and is also thought to be one of the worlds"
dirtiest" source of energy. Where
is the balance between our need for energy and our concern for the environment
and our health? Today we will be
debating whether the benefits of coal out ways the costs. The motion of this debate is yes or no to
this statement: "The San Juan Generating Station poses a significant
environmental and health hazard to the Four Corners region and thus should be
closed." I'm India Waller and I
will be moderating as these six intelligent debaters tell why you should or
should not support the production of coal in our region. Each debater will present an opening
argument, there will be questions for each side, and then we will wrap it up
with each debaters closing thoughts and arguments. At the end of the debate please vote at the
link below whether you are for or against the motion. You are asked to vote twice, one will be your
opinion before the debate and the other after the debate. Again the motion is: "The San Juan
Generating Station poses a significant environmental and health hazard to the
Four Corners region and thus should be closed." If you vote yes you are against the
production of coal in our region and if you vote no you are for coal production
in our region. We will be deciding which
team is the winner of the debate, not by how many people agree with the side
but by how many opinions are changed by the end of the debate. Lets meet our debaters. Arguing for the motion: "The
San Juan Generating Station poses a significant environmental and health hazard
to the Four Corners region and thus should be closed." We have Jess addressing the environmental
cost associated with the combustion of coal, her team mate Brittney addressing the problems associated with the
waste products produced, and the final
debater arguing for the motion, Kaylee will be addressing the health affect caused by
coal. On the other side arguing for coal
against the motion, We have Helen showing the economic benefits of coal, her teammate
Elizabeth will address the new technology advancements
available that make coal a cleaner energy source, and finally Jessie who will be discussing how coal is a reliable,
abundant source of energy that is available domestically. BLAnK will start us off with her statement of
why she is for/against the motion.
Debaters for
the motion, what are some of the health risks that we see in our community
today? (fish consumption
advisories? mercury?
What does
coal production or the end of coal production mean for future generations?
This question
can be addressed by either side: On the
side that is for the motion you discussed alternative energy supplies and on
the side against the motion, you discussed advancements in coal
technology. Both move to lower
emissions, but which is the better option and why?
On the side for the motion Helen addressed the
economic benefits and jobs that the coal industry brings. Debaters on the side against the motion, what
are your thoughts, counter arguments or plans? (How will we create jobs for the
people who use to work for the coal
company?)
On the side
against the motion the debaters addressed the health effects of coal energy
production. Debaters on the side for the
motion, what are some of the measures being taken to remove these risks?
Against the
motion: With cleaner, newer technologies
for energy production such as renewable, nuclear and natural gas, why coal?
That
concludes the question and answer portion of our debate. Now the debater will have 2 minutes to
discuss and refine their final arguments.
We will start
the closing statements with BLANK who is For/ against the motion,
That
concludes this debate. Please remember
to vote on the link below. The motion
is, "The San Juan Generating Station poses a significant environmental and
health hazard to the Four corners region and thus should be closed. Thank you for listening and voting.
Top Nine Questions Asked About Coal
What
is the process of coal combustion?
To
create energy, the coal is combusted with O2 to heat water, that is
turned into stem, which turns a turbine and creates power.
The
chemical formula for coal is as follows(Carnegie Mellon):
C + O2 
CO2
CO2
It requires about 430.12grams of coal to produce
1 kilowatt-hour. During this processes
both energy and mass is conserved. At
the end of the processes multiple Coal Combustion Byproducts (CCB) remain. CCB include fly ash, flue gas
desulfurization, bottom ash and slag.
These products are filtered from the smoke stack and transported to landfills.
.
What
are the environmental impacts of mining for coal?
To
mine coal you have to expose the rock and then break it up. There are two different types of mines: a
underground mines and surface mines. The
biggest environmental impact of coal mining is that surface mines use a lot of
land which causes a large impact on the surrounding ecosystem. Underground mines however, cause "mine
subsidence" which is when the ground above the mine sinks to fill the hole
created by the removal of coal. Mining
coal also produces acid mine drainage(AMD) which can leak into both surface and
ground water. AMD is water that is rich
with metals that were created in a reaction between water and rocks that
contain sulfur bearing minerals. Coal
dust is another byproduct of coal mining.
Coal dust is made up of various chemical agents used and sediment. Another concern is the large amount of water
used in this process. When mining coal a
potent green house gas is released called mercury.
What
are the environmental effects of coal on ground water and air?
When coal is burned there are impurities
in that coal that are released. The most
prevalent impurities are nitrogen, sulfur, and mercury. When burned the nitrogen and sulfur bond with oxygen creating
sulfur dioxide(SO2) and nitrogen oxide compounds(NOx). SO2 creates acid rain which causes
damage to forests, crops, and soil, as well as raise the acidity of surrounding
bodies of water. NOx is the leading cause of smog, basically ground
level ozone, which causes damage to ecosystems and is a contributor to numerous
health problems. Mercury is a toxic
heavy metal that get in surface water and cause high levels of mercury to be
found in the organisms living it the affected water.
What
are the health effects of burning coal?
Sulfur dioxide in the form of acid rain can cause health problems such as asthma and bronchitis. Nitrogen oxide in ground level ozone can cause lung inflammation, including asthma, emphysema, and make people more susceptible to chronic respiratory diseases. Mercury normally enters to body through the consumption of fish or other aquatic creatures. Everyone has a certain level of mercury in their tissue, the problem is when that level gets too high. Mercury can cause gastrointestinal tract, the nervous system, and the kidneys.
How
is burning coal contributing to global warming?
When
coal is burned a large amount of carbon dioxide is released. Carbon dioxide is thought to be the leading
cause of global warming. What makes coal
such a "dirty" burning fuel is the chemical structure. Coal is just carbon so when it is burned a
large amount of carbon is bonded to the oxygen.
Another green house gas released during the mining of coal is
mercury. There is not as much mercury
released as carbon dioxide but it is a more potent greenhouse gas. The Greenhouse
effect is a process where planetary surface radiation is absorbed by the greenhouse
gases in the Earth’s atmosphere which is then re-radiated in all directions. In
other words, when the sun radiates energy towards the Earth, the energy is
re-radiated off the ground and absorbed by the greenhouse gases in the
atmosphere. Humans alter this natural
process by increasing the amount of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere.
What
are some measures being taken to make the processes of burning coal cleaner?
There
are a number of different filters and different storage units available to make
the process of burning coal cleaner such as: Higher end containing equipment such as composite liners, a
high desity polyethelyne combined with either geosynthetics or natural clays,
to reduce the risk associated with coal combustion. An Electrostatic
Precipitator uses an electrostatic charge to pull fine matter such as dust and
ash from the flue gas rising in the power plant. An active carbon injection is basically
when carbon is injected into the pipes carrying the smoke from the coal
combustion. Carbon has a lot of surface area which makes it ideal for the
use of removing pollutants from the smoke. Because carbon has so many
nicks and crannies the pollutants get stuck in the carbon. The carbon
containing the pollutants is then filtered out of the smoke emitted. Carbon
sequestration is when carbon dioxide is captured and pumped back into the
ground.
How much coal do
we have in the world?
We have 860 billion tons of coal left in
the world which is equivalent to 118 years with the current consumption
rate.
What are the job opportunities and economic
benefits that come with coal?
The coal industry brings jobs and
economic growth to a community. This
industry has many different pieces to the process so is able to employ a large
group of people with different skills.
These industries pay taxes to the state which can improve the living
condition of people in a community.
How
does this affect me?
Even
if you are not a worker at a coal plant or you do not live close to a plant or
mine you are still being affected. Part
of the energy you use is most likely coming from coal. The emission and pollution created through
the mining process can travel large distances.
Lastly energy generation is something everyone should be involved in
because the decisions made in the field affect the planet as a whole.
For more information on any of these
subjects please reference the Joint Scientific Statement.
Reflection
The motion for the debate was: The San Juan Generating
Station, a coal plant in Farmington NM, posses a significant environmental and
heath hazard to the Four Corners Region and thus should be closed. In
this debate I was the moderator and I conducted the debate rather than arguing
for or against the motion. This debate did not change my mind and I am
still for the motion, meaning I am against coal. I initially believe that
coal was this nasty, polluting, old school source of energy that should be eliminated
as soon as possible. Though I still believe that there are better ways to
create energy, the argument that shook my stance was the overwhelming amount of
energy that is produced by coal. I knew that it was a large source of
energy worldwide, but the magnitude was daunting.
The side arguing
for the motion and against coal had some pretty compelling facts about coals
negative effects on human health and the environment. They showed that by polluting the air and our
ground water we are causing disease and hardship which, to some, can be more
compelling than just the environmental piece.
Abstract ideas that you only hear about but do not experience are hard
to care about. On the side against the
motion and for coal, the strongest argument was the overwhelming need for
energy and the massive amount of energy that coal provides. The hardest question to answer is what will
we replace coal with? This was a
compelling argument because it requires that the opposite side come up with a
plan that involves other sources of energy that might not have been
researched.
The main question
that I feel needs to be answered in order to make an educated decision on all
of these energy sources is: Is there a
better way? I don't know all the
benefits and cost of solar, wind, or magnetic sources of energy therefore I do
not know what the best option is.
Another question that needs to be answered is: What would it take to
transition from what we call fossil fuels to renewable? I hear all sorts of different opinions and
predictions, but what would it really take and how long. Also, finally, how much more can are planet
take? Until we answer this question and
have people believe the answer it will be hard to change our ways.
One of my
environmental ethics is sustainability and the want for future generations to
enjoy the world that I enjoyed. I feel
that with the current energy sources such as coal, nuclear and natural gas,
this might not be possible. Therefore
this need to preserve our natural environment influenced how I voted on the
motions.
As the moderator
the task that I did best was the questions for each side. I think they showed my deep understanding of
the issue. The aspect that I feel I
could improve on the most is my public speaking. I was nervous so I stumbled and messed up in
parts that I had said a million times.
If I could do it again I would probably just read off of my piece of
paper instead of trying to memorize it so I would not have stumbled at
much.
I am checking the
fact that Jessie Dvirnak stated in her
opening statement seen in this quote: "Likewise, most coal is consumed
domestically and only 15% is traded internationally which would also increase
sustainability within the United States. Moreover, it has been estimated that
there are over 860 billion tonnes of proven coal reserves worldwide; meaning
that there is enough coal to last us at least 118 years at current rates of
consumption. In contrast, proven oil and natural gas reserves are equivalent to
around 46 and 57 years at current consumption levels." I found that these facts were indeed accurate
according to a BP statistical review. http://www.bp.com/subsection.do?categoryId=9037151&contentId=7068607
The next fact I am checking is from Helen's
opening statement that is seen in the quote:
"In 2010, coal mining
provided more than seven million jobs world wide, and more importantly, it
created 82,595 jobs in the United States alone." The fact about seven million jobs worldwide
checked out to be true according to World Coal.
However, I couldn't find the specific number of jobs in the U.S. in 2010
but from some more recent statistic it seems as close to correct.
Materials Unit Project
From Corn To Syrup
Picture a sea of waving green corn stocks, feel the
crunch as you bite into the yellow flesh, taste the sweet salty smell of butter
melting. All these sensory details are
associated with corn. Now picture candy
canes, petroleum, livestock feed, soda, oil, and gummy bears. These products are all made from corn. Because corn is a cash crop and is easy and
cheap to grow, scientists have discovered how to process maize so that it can
be used for other purposes. If you've
ever read the book The Omnivore's Dilemma,
or watch the movie Food Inc. you
should be aware that corn is taking over our food system. It is fed to the meat that we eat, used as
thickeners, a preservative, and it is put in our food to sweeten it. The last of its uses is the one that
intrigued me the most; corn syrup. This
sweet clear liquid is used in practically every sweet made today. It is cheap and easy to use. So how is a yellow kernel transformed into a
replacement sugar? It is a complicated
process that involves utilizing chemical and physical properties of the substances
that make up corn. If you dive deep
enough into the conversion of corn to corn syrup, you will find a fascinating
and complex procedure.
First we must go back to where it all
began; the kernel. The extraction of the
sickly sweet clear liquid from the yellow shiny nugget involves two main manufacturing
steps. The first goal is to remove the
starch from the corn. Starch is made up
of a chain growth polymer called amylose and a branched polymer called amylopectin. Both polymers are compounded from covalently
bonded glucose monomers. A monomer is
the singular unit that makes up a polymer.
The first step is to separate the starch from the other components
(protein, oil and fiber) through the wet-milling process. The corn is soaked in warm water and sulfur
dioxide. The sulfur dioxide causes
denaturation which makes the protein in the corn become insoluble (unable to
dissolve). A similar thing happens when
you cook an egg, except it is the heat that causes the denaturation, not sulfur
dioxide. The corn is then ground up and put
through another cycle of wet-milling processes.
The germ (the oil rich part of the maize) has a relatively low density,
which causes it to separate from the other parts of the corn. The fiber, comprised of larger molecules, is
removed by straining the corn through a wire screen. Using their different densities, the starch
and protein are then separated. Starch is denser than protein so it floats to
the bottom and then the protein is sloughed off the top. The remaining slurry is put through more
washes to remove residual impurities.
The second step is for the remaining starch to undergo a process called
hydrolysis. This is when water and an
enzyme is introduced that causes the bonds connecting the glucose molecules in
the starch to break down. This
chemically changes the starch from its polymer state into individual glucose
molecules. These chemical processes
gives us 76% glucose and 24% water in the form of corn syrup.
However, science did not stop at
creating a sweet syrup from grain, it continued and found a way to enhance and
sweeten the syrup. This process causes
corn syrup to be converted into high fructose corn syrup. This is achieved by taking the glucose
molecules and rearranging the atoms to make a fructose molecule. The process by which one molecule is
converted into another molecule comprised of the same atoms but with a
different structure is called isomerization.
The molecules created are known as isomers. Glucose and fructose molecules are covalently
bonded and have the same chemical formula (C6H12O6),
but what makes them different is the way the molecule is structured. Even the smallest difference can change the
substance completely. You can see the
difference in molecular structure below in Figure 1. An enzyme, a biological catalyst, is used in
this chemical process to help induce these changes in the molecule. Isomerization happens naturally but sometimes
it needs a catalyst to speed up the process.
Not all the glucose is converted to fructose. High fructose corn syrup is a mixture of
glucose and fructose. There are
different ratios of fructose to glucose.
The most common are HFCS-42, 55 and 90.
The numbers represent the percentage of fructose in the glucose fructose
mixture. The more fructose in the
substance the sweeter it is. The reason
fructose causes our taste buds to relay to the brain that it is sweeter than
glucose is unclear. What we do know is
that an enzyme is able to manipulate the molecular structure of the glucose
molecules to create another molecule (fructose) that tastes sweeter sweeter.
Figure 1: The Structure of Glucose and Fructose
Molecules (Hanover and White).
When someone looks at a can of soda or a gummy bear they
are not usually overcome by wonder.
These common items seem simple.
Science allows us to take a closer look.
Through science we were able to turn a common grain into a flavored
beverage. We have all these components
and tools that shape our lives. If we
really stop to consider what they are, and how they were made, as well as what makes
it so useful, and what gives it those qualities, one is swept into a whole new
world. Science gives us a new
perspective to view life through.
Science explains the world but also shows the true mysteries of the world. Our world is not always predictable or
explainable, but that´s what makes it so fantastic. Even an everyday item like corn has a hidden
complexity. This little nugget of gold
can be processed and transformed into sweetener, thickeners, fuel, feed,
plastic, etc. Even the most common item
that we use everyday has its own mystery or story that is just waiting to be
explored.
The chemistry of materials has shaped our past and will shape our future. As human beings our lives are cluttered with stuff made from material that have properties that fit the task they are designed to do. These properties are usually determined by the elements of which the material is composed, the chemical structure of a material, and the bonds that hold the elements together. For instance an ionic bond causes an element to have a crystal structure. Materials with ionic bonds have high melting points and conduct electricity when dissolved in water. Knowing and understanding materials and what gives them their properties has helped us develop tool and improve these tools to make a product better. Looking into the future, the chemistry of materials will help us develop new technology that will shape our future.
How has the chemistry of materials shaped our past and present and how may it shape our future? How does the chemical structure of a material determine its properties?
The chemistry of materials has shaped our past and will shape our future. As human beings our lives are cluttered with stuff made from material that have properties that fit the task they are designed to do. These properties are usually determined by the elements of which the material is composed, the chemical structure of a material, and the bonds that hold the elements together. For instance an ionic bond causes an element to have a crystal structure. Materials with ionic bonds have high melting points and conduct electricity when dissolved in water. Knowing and understanding materials and what gives them their properties has helped us develop tool and improve these tools to make a product better. Looking into the future, the chemistry of materials will help us develop new technology that will shape our future.
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